


Hearts of Kyber

by galinda



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, F/F, F/M, M/M, Star Wars AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-11-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 17:31:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18969766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/galinda/pseuds/galinda
Summary: Imperial Commander Alexander Lightwood was raised on his home planet of Vardos, into the Empire. When his whole world comes crashing down, he finds himself unintentionally infiltrating the rebel alliance. But as his mission goes on, he finds his own moral compass shifting.





	1. The Empire's Time

**Author's Note:**

> yes this is a star wars story but there won't be any actual star wars characters. super fun.

From a distance, Alec could see the group of rebel soldiers walking amongst the trees of the thick forest. He starts counting in his head, imagining how he’s going to start taking them out. Behind him, his squad wait for command, speaking through eye contact. “There’s too many for this to stay quiet,” he says. “There’s going to have to be gunfire.” He looks around through his scope one last time, before lowering his gun and turning back to the group. 

“We’re going to have to be fast,” Jace says. “They’re bound to figure out where we landed sooner than later.” 

“Captain  Herondale  is right,” Alec continues. “Stay up high, use the trees to your advantage. We meet again at the bottom of the hill, then we’ll continue to the loading dock. I don’t want a single rebel ship to leave this planet. Understood?” The squad all agree, and follow Alec’s lead. He takes aim from a boulder, carefully catching one of the rebel’s in his scope. In a split second, they're on the ground, and he can hear yelling from the others. 

His squad descend down the hill, hiding behind the trees, rapid gunfire all around him. He catches one of his stormtroopers being taken out from the corner of his eye, and quickly runs forward, pushing the offending rebel down the hill. The man cries out from under him, looking up at Alec, but all that can be seen is his own reflection in the helmet. Alec flips his gun upward, and smashes the barrel into the man’s skull. Once. Twice. 

“Commander!” He hears from his left, and spots a rebel appearing out from behind a tree. Alec quickly pulls the pistol from his belt, aiming for the head. The bullet pierces through the woman’s forehead, and she falls backwards onto a pile of leaves. Satisfied, Alec descends down the hill, spotting the rest of his team waiting for him. 

“Area secure,” Alec says into his helmet. He counts his squad, only noticing the one casualty. He hated when the admirals gave him simple soldiers. He didn’t need the numbers if he made sure his team acted with intention. “Captain Santiago, scout ahead and spy on the next base. If any of the rebels seem suspicious, let me know so we can plan accordingly.” 

“Yes sir,” the soldier says, saluting. He turns around and makes his way toward the bushes, staying in the shadows of the trees, his sniper in hand. Alec waits until he’s gone from sight, before turning back to the group. 

“They said not to expect this many rebel scum,” Jace says, crossing his arms. His black helmet glistens in the sunset, indicating they were running out of time. “I thought this was supposed to be easy, Commander.” 

“Are you saying you’re having a hard time, Captain  Herondale ?” Alec asks, his tone sarcastic. He can’t see it, but he knows Jace his glaring at him from under his helmet. “Besides, what they have in numbers, they lack in skill. Have faith in the Admiral’s judgement.” Jace looks away, kicking a rock. 

“ _ Commander Lightwood, they know where the ship is and are deploying troops your way as I speak,”  _ Captain Santiago says, his voice cutting into Alec’s helmet. 

“Thank you, Captain. Stay hidden,” Alec says, before motioning to the rest of the squad. They run forward, the sound of the enemy troops getting closer and closer. Once he spots someone from a distance, he takes aim, and the gunfire starts all over again. 

There are even more people this time, and Alec doesn’t have the time to give direct orders. As he fights, carefully avoiding gunshots, trying to move as fast as possible, he can’t keep track of the rest of his team. One of the rebels charges him, pointing a pistol straight at Alec’s helmet. He grabs the man’s arm, pulling him down the hill with him. They roll together, and the rebel lands on top of Alec, gun to his head. Suddenly, the man is shot from behind, slumping over, off of Alec. Alec gets up quickly, spotting Captain Santiago in the distance, his sniper pointed toward him. 

Slowly, the rebel numbers start to dwindle, until Alec finds himself only surrounded by his team. He does yet another headcount, only landing at half of what he started with. “The landing dock is just up ahead,” Alec says. “Take out as many rebels as you possibly can. Our main mission is to detonate the ships, then regroup at the Clave.” The team runs forward yet again, taking out a few scattered rebels as they go. 

“This doesn’t feel right, Commander,” Captain Santiago says, running next to Alec. “They’re desperate. They’re fighting pattern is different.” 

“Thank you for the observation,” Alec responds. The loading dock comes into sight through the trees, and Alec can hear the yells of the rebellion once again. “They know that it’s over,” Alec says, straying away from the other man. He runs forward, aiming his gun. 

He shoots two rebels, then finds coverage behind a crate. Once he centers on a small, bomber aircraft, he runs forward, taking out three more people. He climbs under the craft, setting a detonator on the bottom.  Quickly, he rolls out, running for cover. Alec watches as several of the rebel soldiers run out of the hangar, only to get swallowed in the explosion. He runs toward one of the other aircrafts, and the ground shakes as across the hangar, another explodes. 

Slowly, the rebellion numbers dwindle, and Alec spots a few of them retreating. “Leave no survivors,” Alec says into the speaker inside his helmet, and runs after them. He takes two more out, leaving one woman left. She turns around, her  arms  up. 

“ You’re not going to win ,” she yells.  “Everything is already in place.”  Alec walks forward, pointing his pistol at her face. “The Empires time has come!” 

Alec pauses for a moment, watching her tremble. “ The Empire’s time  _ has  _ come ” Alec says. The woman’s eyes go wide, but before she can say anything else, Alec pulls the trigger.  “Bring the Clave here,” Alec says into his helmet, before running back to the group. 

“Commander,” Captain Santiago says as Alec rejoins the group on the now destroyed loading dock. “Haven’t you noticed?” The ship appears above them, hovering. 

Alec doesn’t respond, just looking at the other soldier. They board the ship, their numbers down to just a third of what they started with. The medical staff greets them immediately, taking a few of the stormtroopers back to the infirmary wing. As they get back to the command center, Alec takes off his helmet. On the screen, a call from the admiral appears. 

“Commander Lightwood,” the admiral says. Alec looks up at his father. “There has been a change of plans.” Alec sighs to himself. His father had never shown pride, no matter what Alec had accomplished since he became a soldier at fifteen. “You are to report to the Death Star immediately. The Rebellion is moving in.” 

“What?” Alec asks, his voice stern. “But our mission was a success-” 

“Now, Commander. Go!” The screen goes dark, and before Alec can process it, the Clave is hovering above the ground, heading upwards toward the sky. Alec curses to himself before running back down the hallway, toward the weapons room.

“Captain Herondale, Captain Santiago, you’re with me,” Alec announces when he enters. “Get in a pod and head upward. The Death Star is under attack.” 

“Yes sir,” Captain Santiago says, putting his helmet back on and running out the door. Jace hesitates, staring at Alec for a moment.

“Now, Captain,” Alec says. 

“Alec, we need to get to Izzy,” Jace says, following Alec out. 

“She will be safe,” Alec says. “Our mission is to take down the rebel bombers before it’s too late,” They arrive at the pods. Before Jace can object, Alec cuts him off. “You will follow our orders. And that’s Commander Lightwood, to you.” Alec gets into his pod, the door sliding closed behind him. Jace looks down at his feet, his expression dark, as he follows the other man.

As he flies closer, Alec spots the rebel bombers immediately. He curses to himself at the amount, heading into the battle. His aim is impeccable, from his years of training. Jace’s pod appears next to his, and they fall into place. For a moment, Alec thinks back to when he and Jace were just teenagers, joining the Imperial army, known for their ability to work together in the air. 

“We’re surrounded,” Jace says in the intercom. He shoots a bomber out in front of Alec. “On the scanner there’s  _ hundreds  _ of them, Commander.” Alec checks his scanner as well, and for the first time since he joined the army, he feels fear start to build in his chest. 

“Complete the mission,” Alec says. “Take down as much rebel scum as you can. We cannot give them hope.” He shoots at another bomber, watching as the aircraft explodes. He doesn’t hear from anyone for a while, not until he sees his father on the screen in front of him. 

“Commander Lightwood,” he says, his voice stern, but Alec can hear people yelling in the background. “You have a new objective.” 

“What? Admiral Lightwood, there’s-” 

“There’s too many of them, Alexander!” Alec flinches at the use of his first name. “Your new objective is to get back to the Clave and relocate. Isabelle and Max have been relocated. You will receive the plans for  _ Operation Ethereal  _ in due time.” In front of him, Alec looks up to see a slew of large Rebellion ships, overwhelming the Imperials. “Go, Alexander. You must save the Empire!” The screen shuts off just as a blinding light appears in the corner of Alec’s gaze.

He turns his ship, watching with wide eyes as the second Death Star explodes, the fleet of rebel bombers swarming around it. His heart pounding against his chest, Alec gets on the radio. “All members of the Shadow Squad, retreat back to ship. Now.” He turns his ship around, spotting the Clave in the distance,  its  outer force field holding strong. 

“Copy,” Captain Santiago announces. Alec looks out the window of the pod in time to see Jace’s ship be thrown through the  wreckage , smoking. 

“Captain Herondale, do you copy?” Alec says in the intercom. Above him, one of the larger Imperial ships takes down a slew of rebel ships, causing more wreckage to start flying everywhere. Alec watches as Jace’s pod gets thrown through space, disappearing among the flaming parts of metal. “Captain Herondale? Do you copy?” He starts flying through the wreckage, looking for the other soldier's pod. “Jace?” Alec hears his own voice break, becoming overwhelmed. He doesn’t see the large remnants of the Death Star flying toward him, everything suddenly disappearing into a caliginous shadow.

“ _ Congratulations on your promotion,” Isabelle says as she enters Alec and Jace’s quarters. Alec smiles, admiring the new badges on his uniform. “Father told me you would be commanding the new infiltration squad.”  _

_ Alec takes a deep breath. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” he says. “Now I know that I’m not just another pawn to the Emperor. He values me more than just another soldier.”  _

_ “He’s recognized your talent,” Isabelle says, leaning against the door frame. She crosses her arms, frowning.  _

_ “I know that look,” Alec says. He faces his sister, taking in her demeanor. She’s closed off, as usual. Worried. “Isabelle.”  _

_ “It’s just that,” she lowers her voice to a whisper. “Are you sure of the intentions of the ‘Shadow Squad?’ What lengths are you willing to  _ _ go for-” _

_ “The Empire?” Alec finishes. “Izzy, you know talking like that around here could get you killed. You sound like one of them.” Isabelle rolls her eyes. “Hopeful.”  _

Alec’s woken up by a sharp pain in his arm. His eyes open wide, blinded by a bright light. He shoots up, feeling hands hold down his chest. A woman hovering over him comes into focus, her face unfamiliar. “Relax, soldier,” she says. “You took quite a hard hit out there; I’m just injecting a pain killer. You’re lucky someone picked you up, or you would have suffocated.” 

She turns away, giving Alec a chance to take in his surroundings. He’s in a small room, with many beds lining the walls, other unfamiliar people occupying them. They’re bruised, some with bandages wrapped around them. Alec looks down at himself, noticing his suit has been torn to shreds, leaving just the pants and boots. His helmet is nowhere to be found, much less his guns. 

“Where am I?” Alec asks the woman. 

“You’re back in Yavin. I’m sure your captain will reach you soon enough. I’m sorry to ask, but may I get your name again? So many of you came through.”

Alec looks at her for a moment before everything clicks.  He was sitting in the Rebellion base. The remnants of his uniform did not feature any symbols of the Empire. To anyone outside the Empire, Alec would be unrecognizable, as the Shadow Squad was classified. His heartrate picks up in panic, fearing someone would recognize him. “ Trueblood . Alec.” 

The woman scrunches her face, reading from a screen. “I don’t see you here,” she says. “You must have recently joined.” 

“You could say that,” Alec responds, trying his best to seem  inconspicuous . 

“Well, for now I’ll send you back to  General Garroway .  We lost all of people in the battle ,  I’m sure he could find a place for you, ” she says. “If you still feel in pain after this, feel free to come back so we can check on you. But supplies are low.” She smiles, but Alec doesn’t return it. He gets out of the bed, making his way down an unknown hallway. He makes sure to be as quiet as possible, avoiding anyone seeing him. He had to find an escape pod and get back to his ship to carry out his orders. 

Eventually, he stumbles into what appears to be quarters. There are beds along the walls, personal items scattered about. He finds a bed with a loose-fitting shirt and slips it on, but there is no sight of weapons. He sighs to himself, and walks out. Eventually, he reaches a large room, where many are gathered, listening to one man speak. 

Alec freezes, trying to not be noticed, but everyone seems to be enthralled with the man. He spots a pistol in the holster of someone in front of  him.  “We cannot dwell on those we lost in the battle,” the man speaking says. Alec slowly reaches forward, his hand nearly touching the pistol. “Destroying the Death Star has brought great hope to those who we fight for.” Alec freezes, feeling anger build in his chest. The image of the ship exploding comes back into his mind. 

“But this isn’t over,” the man says. “This is just the beginning. Yesterday, we lost one of our air bases to the Imperial Empire, and they have since completely taken it over.” Alec’s mind races back to Captain Santiago’s words. He becomes distracted from the speech, thinking of that mission.  The woman he chased down to shoot.  It was a distraction from the destruction they were planning. 

“ General  Garroway, what about my people?” Someone asks from the other side of the crowd. “When are we going to take back my planet? And others?”

“We are waiting for orders from higher in command,”  The man called General Garroway  responds. “Please be patient. And whatever you do, don’t lose hope.”  Alec analyzes him for a moment. The way he talked to everyone else was so at ease, like he was comfortable. Under his vest, Alec spotted the outline of multiple weapons. He dismisses everyone, and they disperse into conversation with each other. Some talk of the victory, others of losses. He watches as some people prepare to spar each other, as if they’re practicing for the next battle. 

Some talk of hope, and it makes Alec’s blood boil. He didn’t understand how they could talk about hope, after demolishing the Death Star. Murdering his father. People he grew up with. Jace. The general shakes people’s hands, reassuring them. Alec wished he could confront him, make him pay for what he had done, but he knew better. He was a spy, now, whether he liked it or not. He knew if he could somehow get insider information and send it back to the Empire, he could avenge everyone he had lost. 

General  Garroway  walks past Alec after talking to one of the soldiers, and as they make eye contact, it is in that moment that Alec makes his decision. He would become an infiltrator for the Imperial army, in the name of his best friend. “General,” Alec says, forcing a smile on his face. 

The man stops, looking at Alec for a moment, scanning him. Alec changes his demeanor, slouching his shoulders, making his body relax, instead of stand at attention as he usually did. “You look a little worse for ware,” the man says. “This is  embarrassing , but I’m afraid I don’t quite remember your name.” 

Alec makes himself laugh, and it nearly physically pains him. “Alec Trueblood. Of Naboo. I wanted to formally introduce myself.” He holds out a hand, and the general shakes it. He squeezes, earning a raised eyebrow from the other man. They stare at each other for a moment, before the general nods. 

General  Garroway  pulls away, looking at Alec once more before gesturing to the hallway. “Well, Wayland... some of the other soldiers were preparing for a sparring match in a few minutes, if you would like to join us.” 

“A spar?” Alec clarifies. “After such a gruesome battle?” 

“Well, we see it as more celebratory,” the general starts walking, and Alec reluctantly follows him. “We choose not to dwell on those we’ve lost, but we also don’t want to bask in our victory. The battle isn’t over yet, and you can never be too prepared.” They arrive at a small room insulated with old rubber mats. It reminds Alec of his days at the academy on his home planet of  Vardos , where he was trained by the most elite Imperial officers. 

In front of them, two rebel soldiers wrestle each other. A girl with short, dark hair laughs as she grabs the boy by the neck, his head held down by her legs. Alec spots a scar on her neck, long and ragged, like that of a claw. “You aren’t going easy on me just because I’m a girl, are you Simon?” She asks. 

“Unfortunately, no,” the boy says, tapping the mat. The girl climbs off of him, and he struggles to breath as he sits up. “This is why I stay back from all the fighting; you know.” He dusts himself off, and upon seeing the general, stands up as quickly as he can. “Sir.” 

“Simon, Maia,” General  Garroway  says. “Meet Alec Trueblood.” 

Simon stares at Alec for a moment, before his face lights up. “I know you,” he says, and Alec feels his heart skip a beat. “You were one of the soldiers that got pulled from the wreckage. You’re lucky Catarina was on that ship, or you would have been dead in seconds.” Alec glares at him, and Simon squirms where he stands. “Uh... If you want, you can spar with us. We’re just doing a light training.” 

Alec wished nothing more than to have just a knife with him. He knew he could take out the three other people in the room with ease. “Sure,” he says, forcing another smile. If he wanted to gain intel, he would have to be close to the general. And that meant getting on his good side. 

The two men position themselves a few feet apart on the mat, and Alec centers himself, thinking of how to attack the other man. As much as he wanted to, he knew throwing punches would not be an option. He couldn’t be too violent, and cause suspicion. Maia counts off the match, and Simon lunges forward at Alec. With a calculated move, Alec steps out of the other man’s way, leaving him flailing toward the floor. 

Simon catches himself, kicking behind him, hooking his leg under Alec’s. Alec quickly twists his body around, pulling Simon’s leg back. Before he can react, Alec has him pinned, his elbow over the other man’s neck. He was grateful that most of the Imperial soldiers were not known for their martial arts capabilities, or Alec knew his fighting style would be recognized. 

Just as Alec starts to push Simon’s neck into the mat, the other man taps it with his hand, and Alec lets go. He takes a deep breath to center himself, before looking up at the general. “Very impressive, Wayland,” the general says. “Were you looking for a promotion?” 

Alec stands up, facing the general. “It was not my original intention when I approached you, General  Garroway , but...” Maia watches as Simon struggles to stand up, having the breath knocked out of him. She waits for Alec to help him, but he never does. “After taking down the Death Star, I feel a sense of  _ hope  _ that I have never felt before. I know my calling now, and I must fight... for my family.” 

General  Garroway  looks Alec up and down once more, before nodding. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, soldier,” he says. “I’m sure I can find a more appropriate place for you.” With that, he turns around and walks out, leaving Alec with the small victory.

For the next few days, Alec tries his best to lay low from the other rebel soldiers. He always made sure he was last to go to sleep, earliest to rise. As he snuck around the base, he was always listening, but hadn’t come across anyone important enough to get any important information. By the end of the week, he had acquired a heavier jacket, with enough pockets that he could hide objects from others. When another soldier wasn’t looking, he pocketed a small knife that remained concealed in his jacket. And lastly, he stole a pair of goggles from another bed, large enough that his face would remain concealed to the Empire’s soldiers if he were to come across them, and his cover would not be blown. 

When Alec gets called into a meeting with the general, he comes prepared to fight. If he had been discovered, he would not down without bringing someone else with him. But when he walks into the room, he’s among other rebel soldiers. Before anyone can say anything to him, a hologram is projected from the machine in the middle of the room. 

“General  Garroway ,” a masked woman says, her face unrecognizable. “We have received word that the Empire may have plans in Coruscant. The tension from our attack is still running high, and the brutality of the Imperial soldiers in that area is getting worse. It will be your job to retrieve and rescue  Agent Bane from their custody.” 

The general raises his eyebrows. “Agent Bane? Are you sure he didn’t do something to end up behind bars?” The woman on the projector laughs. 

“He causes trouble wherever he goes,” she says. “But we need him on our side. And try not to have too many casualties, General. We don’t want to cause a stir.” 

General  Garroway  salutes, and the projector turns off. He looks around at the other rebels in the room, his expression stern. “Let’s make this quick, but severe. Once we land, gather as much intel from the locals as you can. Don’t do anything that might cause attention. Once we locate Bane, we sneak in, break him out, and make our escape. Understood?” 

The group all nod, and Alec follows them out to the loading dock. He recognizes Simon and Maia, but there’s one more woman who he hadn’t seen before. She’s closed off, her shoulders drooped. Once they reach the ship, Simon wraps his arm around her shoulders. “We have to keep fighting, Clary,” he says. “I know how hard it is to find hope when you lose someone.” 

“It’s not fair,” Clary says as they board the ship. Alec tries to not look like he’s listening, busying himself with the new pistol the general awarded him with. “I don’t even get to give her a proper burial. They completely took over the base.” 

“Now we have a chance to take them out for good,” Simon says. “They aren’t going to cause us anymore pain.” Alec turns away, smiling to himself. 

Once they exit the ship on Coruscant, Alec adjusts the goggles to protect his identity from the scattered Imperial soldiers. The people of the city still haggled and drank in the streets, unbothered by the Empire’s presence. Alec follows the general to a crowded bar, where species of all kind conversed, alcohol under their breath. “Remember, this is the late crowd, and they’re more talkative. Agent Bane is too valuable for the Empire to keep in a public cell, he’s going to be somewhere they think we won’t find him.” 

“Coruscant is a big planet, Sir,” Maia says. “How do we even know he’s in this region?” 

“Our inside operator relayed the information of Bane’s arrest days ago,” General  Garroway  says. “The reporting officer’s troop number matches up with this location. He can’t be far. Now, disperse, and relay any important information you hear back to me.” He turns into the crowd, disappearing among the bar patrons. 

Alec stands still for a moment, unable to move his feet. A traitor had been operating within the Empire, without him knowing. He knew he needed to find a way to reach them somehow, before whoever it was did something worse.  As he walks around the bar, it occurs to Alec that he had never been to a place so public before. As an officer, he was always stationed on the Death Star, and once he was made commander, he only did special missions. 

He bumps into a woman holding a tray of drinks, and she hisses at him before turning back around. “Sorry, I, uh...” he’s then pushed into someone else, a taller man, with broad shoulders. This time, the man pushes him back, and Alec ends up against the cement wall. Another woman glares at him, her eyes shining purple against green skin. On his home planet, his father would never let him socialize outside of the other Imperial academy students. 

“You aren’t going to get any information out of anyone if you act like that,” Alec hears a female voice say. Maia appears from the crowd, leaning next to him on the wall. “Where did you say you were from again?” 

Alec takes a deep breath. “Naboo.” 

Maia laughs. “That explains it, you people are always so formal.” Alec nods in agreement, watching as Maia smiles and waves at a young  _ rodian _ _ ,  _ his beady eyes lighting up once he sees her. He walks over, and they make  conversation  like old friends. Alec feels like the third wheel, watching as she slides her hand down his arm. 

“You remember my dear friend Magnus, don’t you?” Maia asks, leaning in toward the other man. He nods, his eyes glazed over. “I’ve been looking around for him, you didn’t happen to hear anything, did you?” 

The  rodian  frowns, his antenna twitching. “We all saw him get arrested in the square. He didn’t  do anything, the Empire guards just put their guns to his head.” 

“I see,” Maia responds. She looks over at Alec, who shrugs. But on the inside, he knew that the Empire had a reason for the arrest. They had an image to uphold. “Would it be too much trouble for you to show me where this happened?” She asks, smiling at him. He nods enthusiastically, leading her and Alec out of the bar. 

They fall behind, following the man as he stumbled through the street. “Shouldn’t you tell the general about this?” Alec asks her, his voice low. 

“I will, eventually,” Maia says. “I usually like to do these things alone, but I could use extra muscle. Wherever they’re keeping Magnus is going to be heavily  guarded , so I’ll need someone to cover my back.” 

Alec knew he shouldn’t pry too much, to avoid suspicion, but with the way they all talked about Magnus Bane, he knew he must be important. If he could learn more about him, he could relay his weakness back to the Empire when he got the chance. “What makes him so important to the Rebellion? Is it really worth risking the lives of several soldiers for one man?” 

Maia stops, looking over at Alec. “Magnus isn’t just ‘one man.’ He leads our most top-secret missions. He gathers intel on the Empire. We need his mind.” She starts walking again, and Alec follows her, staying close behind. Eventually, the  rodian  stops by an alleyway, swaying where he stood. Maia kisses his cheek, and he practically melts into the ground. “Let’s go,” Maia says, and she and Alec descend down the alley. 

As they walk, Alec looks along the walls for a keypad that would open one of the many doors. He knew that in a large city, the Empire liked to have some amount of secrecy, unknowing of who was listening. They come across a large door, sealed shut. 

“This doesn’t feel right,” Maia says. “It’s too easy. Why aren’t there guards out here, too?” 

“Stormtroopers slack off just like everyone else,” Alec says, thinking back to his first days in the force. He feels an ache in his chest at the memory. “I say we get in, find your friend, and get out. Cover me, I’ll hack the keypad.”

“How do you know how to do that?” Maia asks, one eyebrow raised. 

Alec hesitates for a moment, considering eliminating her before he notices too much. But he knew it would be suspicious if one of the most prized solders of the squad suddenly got killed on a small incognito mission. “It’s not that different from what I used to operate on Naboo,” he says. “This should only take a minute.”

Maia shrugs, turning around, holding her rifle in position while Alec pretends to tinker with the device. After a moment of pressing random buttons, he eventually uses his own access code, the door opening with ease. “Impressive,” Maia says, and the duo enter quietly. 

Inside the small base, the hallways are bare, unusual for the Empire. Alec feels tension build in his shoulders, crawling up his spine. Something was different about the atmosphere. As they continue down the hallway, Alec breaks off, promising to call her if he found anything. He ventures through, until he sees the bodies of a few fallen troopers, gun shots through their armor. It’s not enough to be the whole troop, but it’s significant. He turns down another hallway, finding the commanding officer’s office. 

When Alec walks in, he chokes on his own breath. The officer is face down on his desk, a gunshot through his forehead. Alec recognizes him from the academy. He notices the communicator sitting on his desk, and reaches out for it. Just as he’s about to call in to his superiors, he feels something against the back of his head. The barrel of a gun. 

“Turn around, slowly,” an unfamiliar voice says. When Alec turns, his eyes meet with a man in a dark jacket and open button-up. Jewelry lies on his bare chest, flashing gems from different planets. His hair is swooped back, framing his face. Black powder lines his eyes, shimmering in the dim office light. The man looks at Alec, analyzing, and Alec feels a pull toward him, but he can’t quite place it. After a moment, he lowers his gun. “You must be with the Rebellion,” he says. “They should know by now that I don’t need saving.” 

Alec looks at the man, sliding the Imperial communicator into his sleeve, unnoticed. “You must be Magnus Bane.” 


	2. ...Then You Have Nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what up thanks for reading

Back on board the ship, the team regroups, all collected around Magnus. Clary tends to a scrape on his side, from a bullet apparently shot by the Imperial officer when he got captured. He tells a story of how he managed to break out of his cell, then proceeded to take out the entire troop. Alec stands at a distance, his arms crossed, trying to draw as little attention as possible. 

“We might have taken out the Death Star, but the Empire has something much bigger planned,” Magnus says. “I couldn’t find any details on the computers. All I got was that there is something being planned called  _ Operation Ethereal.”  _ Alec clenches his jaw, remembering his father’s last words. “I’m not certain what the Empire has in store... but I remember seeing something about Cymon One. After we return to Yavin, I want to deploy an infiltration team to that area.” 

“Cymon One...” General  Garroway  says, thinking for moment. “That’s nothing but an old abandoned factory.” 

“It was the largest, most functioning factory in the Galaxy at one point,” Magnus says. “It must still mean something to the Empire.”

“Well, it’s our best lead right now,” the general sighs. “Fine. Take Simon, Underhill... and Trueblood with you. Be discreet.” Magnus looks over at Alec, his eyes calculative. They stare at each other for a moment, before the meeting is disbanded. Before anyone can talk to him, Alec disappears down the hallway. 

_ Alec looks at himself in the mirror, admiring how his new uniform fit. It was mostly black, save for a red line that accented the shape of his arms, into his front chest armor. On the shoulder, the Imperial symbol was sewn in with precision. In his reflection, he watches Jace walk into their shared room, the same uniform fitted to his body.  _

_ “These sure beat those overheated stormtrooper uniforms, don’t they?” Jace asks. “I was getting really tired of standing guard in those. By the time I took the thing off, my forehead was drenched.”  _

_ “This isn’t about the uniforms,” Alec responds, turning around to face the other man. “We have been trusted to do missions the Emperor himself assigns us. After our years of hard work and dedication, we’re finally being recognized. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”  _

_ “I know,” Jace responds, sitting down on his bed. “You don’t have to only focus on the big picture, Alec. You can appreciate the little things.” Alec looks at the other man, feeling a longing in his chest. “Is there something on your mind?” Jace asks, smirking.  _

_ Inside himself, Alec knew there was something pulling him to Jace. There had been since they were teenagers. He was the only person Alec let his guard down around. He lets himself analyze the other man once more. The brightness in his eyes, how his high cheek bones were framed by his soft, blonde hair. “Commander,” Alec forces out. Jace looks at him in confusion, tilting his head. “From now on, you will address me as Commander Lightwood.” Before his friend could respond, Alec turns around and walks out of the room, not looking back.  _

As Alec and the other three soldiers prepared for their mission to Cymon One, he felt the general’s eyes on his back, staring him down. He should have known better when the man chose him for the rescue mission, after only knowing him for a brief amount of time. While he hadn’t exposed himself on the mission, he knew General  Garroway  was suspicious of his intentions. He didn’t put him on the factory mission because he respected his skills. He wanted to keep an eye on him. 

Before they leave, a few people come to see them off. “Come back, please,” Clary says, hugging Magnus. “I need you here.” 

“Don’t worry, Biscuit,” he responds before pulling away. “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. Grieve your mother.” 

The four men board the ship, entering hyperspace once they are out of the planet’s atmosphere. As Alec stands looking out the front of the ship, watching the stars fly by, a tall, blonde man with broad shoulders walks up to him. “Trueblood, correct?” Alec nods, pulling his shoulders back to correct his posture, a habit he can developed over the years. “I’m Lieutenant Underhill. Simon tells me that you’re well trained. We could use more people like you on our side. Pleasure to be working with you.” 

Alec looks past Underhill, at Simon, who sits quietly, analyzing his gun. “No, it’s an honor to... serve the Alliance,” Alec forces out. Underhill shakes his hand, and Alec makes his way over to Simon. He knew that someone like Magnus Bane would be harder to break. But there was something about Simon. He didn’t have as hard of a shell, and General  Garroway  had a soft spot for him. In the Empire, people like that didn’t make it.

“You’re sitting quietly,” Alec says, taking a seat across from Simon. The other man looks up, and Alec spots small battle scars scattered across his face. 

“Yeah, I... I’m usually like this before missions,” Simon responds. “Nervous, you know. That not everything will go to plan.” He still had some of his guard up, Alec could tell. 

“Me too,” Alec responds. It wasn’t a total lie. Back in his stormtrooper days he was always concerned that they would be too outnumbered to win. 

“Really? You seem so...” Simon trails off for a moment. “Tough.” Alec shrugs, looking away from the other man.  “The only reason General  Garroway  even keeps me around is because he knew my mom.” Alec raises an eyebrow, and Simon sighs before continuing. “I grew up on  Alderaan . Before it blew up... the general snuck me onto a military ship. My mom and sister didn’t make it.” 

Alec averts his gaze. He had not been a part of the destruction of  Alderaan  directly, but he knew his father had been heavily involved. And he knew if Simon were to look into his eyes, he would see the conflict. Luckily for Alec, they arrive at their destination. 

The ship lands out of sight from the factory, and as a group, the four men make their way up a baron hill in the direction of the building. Just as Simon is about to reach the top of the hill, Magnus grabs arm and yanks him back. “Get down,” he whispers. “We aren’t alone.” 

“This factory isn’t abandoned,” Underhill whispers. He looks at Magnus for guidance. “We should call in more troops.” 

“No,” Magnus responds. “We can handle this ourselves. There’s no need to bring other lives into this.” 

Simon groans, looking behind him. “Magnus, there’s only four of us. This is dangerous, and-”

“That’s the risk you have to take to win this war,” Magnus responds. “You can’t hide behind General  Garroway  forever, Simon. We need to blow up this factory before they can make any more weapons.” Simon looks at Magnus for a moment, his eyes pleading, before finally raising his gun.  “When I take the first shot, follow my lead.” 

Alec stands back, watching as the other three men raise their weapons. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to fire at his own. Just a week prior, he would have been on the other side. His hands feel weak as he grasps his gun, slowly aiming it upward. Magnus waits a moment, and then shoots, the bullet nailing a general in the head. The man falls to the ground, and the rest of the army scatter. Suddenly, gunfire  surrounds the four men, and they take cover behind a tank. 

He hears the other three men yelling over each other, the metal clanging with each bullet. Alec’s hands tense on his gun. He could just take them out and walk out with his hands up. The generals would recognize him. Images of Jace’s destroyed pod flash through his mind. He had to avenge his best friend, and if that meant playing a rebel for a while, then so be it. 

Unlike the others, Alec knew the fighting patterns of the storm troopers. He knew what positions they would most likely take. Underhill glances at Alec for a moment, opening his mouth to say something. But before he can, Alec forces himself out from behind the machine and darts diagonally. He steadily aims his gun and rapidly fires, taking out a small group of storm troopers that were covered behind a sheet of metal. He then hides himself behind another machine. One of the troopers runs up beside him, but Alec just trips him and holds him down.

He watches the trooper struggle beneath him, held down by Alec’s body weight. Just when he passes out, Alec lets go. Just as he’s about to get off of him, someone comes up behind him and shoots the soldier. Alec flinches, and looks up to see Magnus pointing his pistol. 

“We wiped out everyone stationed outside,” Magnus says. “No one knows we’re here yet. But we have to move fast.” He holds his hand out to help Alec up. Alec stares at it for a moment, before grabbing it. Magnus’s hand is warm, clammy from the fight, but even with one arm he’s able to easily pull up Alec’s body weight. 

As they sneak into the factory, Alec watches how Magnus moves. He’s calculated, careful, but confident in his strides. If he had been with the Empire, Alec knows they would have crossed paths. “This is completely functioning,” Simon says. “And it’s making a lot of weapons.” 

“If we don’t blow it up from its source, they’re going to keep using it. We have to get to the control panels. It’s going to be a fight, but...” Magnus looks over at Alec. “With this team, we can handle it.” 

The four men descend into the factory, down to where the body of an AT-AT walker is being dropped down by chains. Magnus looks at it for a moment, before gesturing to the inside. The group walk in, crouching in the machine as it is slowly moved down further into the factory. “As soon as we get to the main floor, open fire,” Underhill says. “They won’t know what hit them.” 

Magnus looks over at Alec again, making eye contact with him. Alec felt lucky that he had the goggles covering his eyes, because he knew how he came across. Isabelle always told him he looked meaner than he actually was. But it came in handy when he got promoted in the army, and had his own troops to command.

They feel the body of the machine land on the ground with a loud thud, and the doors slide open. Before Alec can even register what’s happening, Underhill is raising his gun and shooting, and they’re surrounded by a dozen storm troopers. Alec keeps his shots intricate, all head shots, to minimize the pain of his fellow soldiers. 

It takes a while, but eventually, the group are running toward the control panel. Simon knocks out a soldier, then takes his gun. It was a higher grade than the normal storm troopers, utilizing heavy fire. He uses it to take out the last group of troopers, standing at the base of the stairs under the panel. More voices of  troopers  sound from the floor above them, and their  footsteps  can be heard running toward the panel. 

“Trueblood,” Magnus yells. “Cover Underhill in the panel while he transfers the weapon plans to General Garroway. Simon and I can handle things down here.” 

“I thought we were just going to blow this place up,” Underhill responds.

“If we have the chance to learn more about their weapons, we’re going to take it,” Magnus says. The voices of the troops get louder, closer. “I know you can figure out the tech. Once you send it, meet Simon and I on the second floor. Then, we’ll have approximately five minutes to get back to the ship and get out or we’re going to get caught in the explosion.” 

Underhill shakes his head in protest, but runs up the stairs anyway. Alec follows suit, eager to see if the rebel soldier really knew how to work Empire tech. On the panel, Underhill presses buttons, searching for the diagrams of the weapons. Alec spots a small group of troopers running into the panel room. He opens fire on them, feeling Underhill’s gaze on his back. “Found it,” Underhill says. “I just need to send this to Garroway, and then-” His words are cut off as Alec raises his gun at his head, his eyebrows narrowed. Another group of troopers is headed in their direction. 

“Step away from the panel,” Alec orders, lifting up his goggles.

Underhill smirks, putting his hands up. “I knew there was something off about you,” he says. “I can see it in your eyes. And the others will catch on soon enough. And once Magnus figures you out, he’ll-” The troopers run into the room, shooting. Alec holds down on the trigger and shoots Underhill in the forehead, his body falling to the ground. He then turns around and fires at the small group of soldiers, taking them out. 

Catching his breath, Alec turns to the monitor and scans his hand. The audio connects to whoever was out there listening. “Hello?” A familiar voice answers. It was one of Alec’s superiors who worked with his father. 

“This is Alexander Lightwood, Commander of Shadow Squad, and I-” he’s interrupted by a shaking in the ground, and the red alarm light flashing.

“Commander Lightwood?” The officers  answer . “You’re al-” 

“There’s a rebel in the Empire, officer,” Alec says, trying to keep his voice calm. The ground rumbles again, and this time, Alec can see Simon and Magnus running up to the second floor. “And I-” Before he can continue, the walls start shaking. Cursing to himself, Alec lets go and runs out of the panel, jumping over Underhill’s body. 

Simon’s eyes widen when he sees Alec, and he waves his arm in his direction. Alec catches up to the two men, and they run through the facility, shooting stray troopers as they came across them. “They’re collection on the surface,” Magnus yells over the loud noise of the factory coming apart. “Once we get there, we’re going to steal an AT-AT and take them out with their own weaponry.” 

Alec slides his goggles back on, recollecting himself as Magnus and Simon take out the rest of the troopers that were inside the factory. They run outside, and it’s chaotic. “There!” Simon yells, pointing at one of the open AT-ATs. The group of men run into it, and Magnus shuts the door behind them. He runs to the control panel, starting it up. Below them, troopers on the ground shoot at the machine, but Magnus plows right through them. 

 “ _ Bane, this is General Garroway. We got your distress call, where are you?”  _

_ “ _ In the only AT-AT shooting other troopers,” Magnus responds into his radio. “Meet us on top of the cliff. This place is going to blow in two minutes.” He directs the AT-AT walker upward on the hill, taking out dozens of troopers. Simon rests his hand on Alec’s shoulder, catching his breath. 

Once they finally reach the top of the cliff, the legs of the machine shake under them. General  Garroway’s  ship appears and hovers in front of them. “We have to go, now!” Magnus yells, climbing upward to the top of the AT-AT. Alec and Simon follow suit. The ground shakes again, and Alec loses balance. He falls backward, back into the machine, but before he can land Simon crouches down and grabs his forearm. 

Alec looks up at the other man, his heart pounding. Simon uses his body weight and pulls Alec out, stepping off the machine. Both of the men fly downward, into the entrance of General  Garroway’s  ship. The door closes, and the ship ascends before entering hyper-space, and suddenly everything is quiet. 

All Alec can hear is Magnus and Simon catching their breath. Simon collapses against the wall, sliding down. General  Garroway  and Clary run into the room. “Did you get our transmission?” Magnus asks, looking up at the general. General  Garroway  shakes his head, confused.  Finally  calmer, Magnus forces himself up, and looks around. “Underhill, he...” he looks at Alec. 

Alec tries his best to keep a straight face. “We got ambushed. He didn’t make it.” The room goes silent for a moment, and Magnus looks down at the floor. 

“Shit, Magnus...” Simon starts. “Are you okay?” 

Magnus clenches his jaw, not looking up. “I’m fine, he... What’s important is that we destroyed the factory. Underhill was important to our cause, but... we can’t take back what happened.” Simon gets up with the help of Clary. 

“You know what I mean,” Simon says to Magnus, who shakes his head. 

“It wasn’t like that,” Magnus responds. “Not for a long time, anyway, and I...” he trails off. “I’m going to get cleaned up. Then we can talk, General.” General  Garroway  nods, and the group disperses. Alec paces the halls, ignoring the pounding in his head. In the Empire, there was no time for relationships. He knew he would serve Shadow Squad until the war ended, or something worse happened. But he had never pictured anyone else being with him. The rebellion functioned differently, and he didn’t understand it. He couldn’t piece together how everything wasn’t just built on a mission plan. 

Once they regroup, General  Garroway  announces their next mission, this time including himself, Maia, and Clary. “We have received the call from Jordan Kyle that his team has recovered our insider to the Empire, and that he is now recovered from his wounds from the Death Star mission. We’re going to meet up with them before putting together as many soldiers as we can to take back  Kashyyyk  after the mission plans are retrieved.” 

“And where are we meeting them, exactly?” Maia asks, ignoring a playful gaze from Simon and Clary. 

“ Mandalore ,” the general responds. “Since the Clone Wars, it’s become a wasteland. We shouldn’t have any problem picking them up. In the meantime, get some rest.” 

Once the general is out of the room, Simon and Clary press Maia about Jordan Kyle. Alec sneaks out, heading toward his quarters, running into Magnus in the hallway. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were...” Magnus starts, stopping in front of Alec. They make eye contact for a moment, and Alec can feel Magnus analyzing him. After a moment of silence, Magnus shakes it off, looking away. “What happened, exactly? With Underhill.” 

“Oh, uh...” Alec responds. “There were too many troopers for me to handle alone,” he lies. “Underhill turned around to help me, but he got shot in the chest. Once the ground started to shake, he told me to go.” 

“Hm,” Magnus thinks for a moment before continuing. “He would have done anything to help the rebellion, you know. He grew up on  Alderaan . When we lost it, he made is his own personal vendetta to defeat the Empire.” Alec clenches his jaw, remembering how  Underhill’s  body fell limp against the panel. 

“You were close,” Alec assumes, trying to seem as sympathetic as possible. It seemed that all rebel soldiers were. 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Magnus responds. “We had a more... physical relationship. But I did have a deep respect for him. I’ve lost many people in this war. I’ve almost become  desensitized  to it.” 

“Me too,” Alec says, thinking of Jace, his father, and mother. 

“There isn’t time to mourn,” Magnus continues. “Not yet anyway. But once the Empire is defeated, there will be much to remember. And we’re getting closer every day.” Alec feels anger start to build in his chest, but he ignores it. “Thank you, for letting me talk,” Magnus says. “I’ll see you when we land.” 

Mandalore  is baron, barely any signs of life. Remnants of the city lie around the ship when they land, the ground a mix of dust and ash. There’s a grey hue to all of the remaining buildings, darkened by the lack of sunlight.  Alec sees people scattered around, but not huge crowds like there once were. The air still had remnants of war, so the rebels all wore gas masks over their faces to breath. 

General  Garroway  leads them through the town, until the come across a small bar. Inside, there aren’t many patrons. After speaking to the bartender for a minute, he opens a door that leads to a basement. Unlike the shanty room above it, in the lower floor there’s a mix of tables and a couple beds. A built man with long, brown hair gets up from his seat once the group walks in. 

“General,” he says. “Long time no see.” 

“Jordan,” the general responds, pulling the man in for a short hug. “It’s a pleasure to see you again. I take it the  Preator  has done you well.” 

“Of course. Thank you again for handing over your position.” General  Garroway  nods, and the group disperses. “He was in pretty bad shape when we picked him up, but he’s made a speedy recovery. He was listed as deceased in the Empire’s file from the Death Star explosion, so we shouldn’t have to worry about anyone finding out we retrieved him.” 

Alec watches closely as General  Garroway  and Jordan approach a bed where someone lies beneath the covers. Their face is heavily bandaged, making it hard to recognize them. But Alec knew if he could just get a closer look, he would be able make his escape and report back to the Empire. “Hey,” Jordan whispers, waking the man up.

With a groan, he slowly sits up from his bed with the help from the other man. Clary walks over to him, kneeling down next to the bed. “It’s me, Clary,” she whispers. “The one who you were talking to over the radio.” 

“Yeah, I recognize your voice,” the man says. His voice is unrecognizable, hoarse. He shifts in the bed, before pulling himself up with a painful groan. “I take it you’re here to discuss everything I told you about the Empire’s next move.” 

“If you’re up for it,” General  Garroway  responds. He and Clary help the man limp over to a coat rack, where he slowly pulls on a dark jacket.

“I hid all of the information in my pod,” the man responds. “Jordan hid it out in the wasteland, not too far from here. I can explain more on the way.” Jordan grabs a gas mask and puts it on the man, before pulling one on himself. 

_ Alec paces his room for the thousandth time that day, talking to himself. It was the day he and Jace were going to be graduating from the academy, officially joining the ranks of the storm troopers. He stops when suddenly the door is pushed open, revealing his father. He stands at attention, his arms crossed behind his back.  _

_ “Admiral Lightwood,” Alec says. “I wasn’t expecting you.”  _

_ “I know, Alexander,” his father says, eyeing the messy bed sheets and clothes scattered around. “I could sense that you were on edge about today.”  _

_ “No, Sir,” Alec responds. “I have been waiting for today my entire life. Joining the Imperial army has been one of the highest achievements of my life.”  _

_ “Good, because the emperor has had his eyes on you for a long time,” Robert responds. He eyes Alec with pride, something he had been longing for his entire life. The approval of his father. “I’m glad I don’t have to worry about you, as I do your sister.” Isabelle’s young face flashes across Alec’s mind. Her questions about the Empire’s intentions arising anger in their father. “But she did bring something to my attention that I felt was worth speaking with you about.”  _

_ Alec tenses, feeling the muscles in his back start to ache. “What is it, Admiral?”  _

_ Robert paces for a moment, keeping Alec on edge. He stops in front of his son. In the past few years Alec had grown to stand taller than his father, but that didn’t mean he necessarily felt that way. As far as he knew, his father would always be looking down at him. “Apparently, you have expressed an... attachment to your counterpart, Jace  _ _ Herondale _ _.” Alec doesn’t respond, feeling sweat build on his forehead. “I wanted to remind you, Alexander, that the Empire does not have time for your emotional nonsense. We both know what happened to his parents. I wouldn’t want the same to happen to you. Am I understood?”  _

_ Alec feels his heart pound against his chest at the mention of the other boy. As much as he wanted to deny it, every time the other boy smiled at him, or rest his hand on Alec’s shoulder, or brushed his hair out of his face, Alec’s stomach fluttered with excitement.  _

_ “Yes, Sir. It will not be a problem anymore. The Empire means everything to me.”  _

As they walk past the tall buildings, entering a more secluded part of  Mandalore , Alec tries to catch a glimpse of the traitor. But he knew better, and hung back with Simon, who looked around the planet curiously. Eventually they came across an empty crash site, with remnants of an Imperial pod scattered around. 

The man approaches the busted machine, the control panel exposed to the open air. “Luckily, it will only respond to my hand print,” the man says. “Not that there’s anyone on this planet searching for anything.” 

“These plans change everything, general,” Jordan says. “The Empire’s tactics are changing. If we can stop this, then we will have won the war.” 

General  Garroway  smiles, wrapping one arm around Jordan. “Then you’ve chosen the right side to be on,” he says to the traitor. 

Alec watches intently as the man crouches down at the panel, placing his hand on the screen. It lights up, dimly, before revealing his name on in bright blue letters.  _ Agent Johnathan Christopher  _ _ Herondale _ _.  _ Alec feels his heart stop, watching as the man stands back up, a flash drive in his hand. Alec didn’t get to analyze him much before, but now he could see it. The blonde hair slick back that was always to long for Empire uniform codes. His piercing gaze that always sent chills up  Alec’s  spine. 

After he makes the connection, Alec feels anger build up in his chest, nearly uncontrollable. He had already been betrayed by one of his own. But now, he knew it was the person he cared about most in the universe. He knew better than to reveal himself, but Alec couldn’t stop his hand from reaching up and loosening his gas mask. 

“ _ Alexander, the empire does not have time for your emotional nonsense.”  _ His father's words echo in his head as he drops the mask on the dusty terrain. Everyone looks up at him, and Jace freezes in place.

After staring at Alec for a moment, Jace removes his mask as well, revealing his bruised face to the other man. “Jace,” Alec chokes out, his heart beating with rage. 

“ Herondale , what’s happening?” Jordan asks, looking between the two men. Before Jace can respond, Magnus steps forward and raises his pistol at Alec’s face. “Magnus, what are you doing?” 

Jace and Alec stare into each other’s eyes for another moment before Jace gives in and looks away. “I don’t know what he told you, but... that’s Commander Alexander Lightwood. Of the Empire’s elite Shadow Squad.” 

Alec hears the shifting of the people around him, and suddenly Maia, Clary, Simon, and Jordan all have their own weapons pointed in Alec’s direction. General  Garroway  stares down Alec for a moment, before turning back to Jace. “But he...” he trails off for a moment, before shaking his head. “Can he be trusted?” 

Jace looks back up at his best friend once again, their eyes meeting, and Alec narrows his eyebrows and raises his chin. Standing at attention, as he always did. 

“No.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading! please let me know what you think in the comments, and what you would like to see in the future.


	3. Chapter 3

When Alec wakes up, the room is dark, cold air sending goose bumps up his spine. He can’t see anything, but can feel cold metal binding his wrists behind his back. He’s sitting up on a chair, his ankles also held in place my metal bindings. The only source of light he can see is a small sliver from under the door. 

After a while, the door flies open, blinding Alec’s eyes. Once he regains focus, he sees Jace turning on the light switch. Alec doesn’t say anything, just watching as Jace leans against the wall, crossing his arms. His face is clearer than it was before, less swollen from bruising. His eyes are still the same bright blue, one mixing with a light brown color. The same eyes that at one point made Alec feel weak. But now, he only felt betrayed. 

Jace speaks first, breaking the silence between the two men. “They wanted to kill you, you know,” he starts. “But I convinced them not to.” He looks at Alec expectantly, waiting for his response. 

“Am I supposed to thank you?” Alec questions, narrowing his eyebrows like he always did whenever Jace would want to slack off on missions. 

“You were never thankful for anything,” Jace says. “You’ve never been satisfied with anything, Alec. It didn’t matter how well you did at the academy, or in battle. You’re never satisfied. There’s always something more. You weren’t going to stop until you were side by side with the emperor. That’s why I knew I couldn’t tell you anything.” 

Alec clenches his jaw, looking away from the other man for a moment before turning back. “We took a vow to the Empire,  _ Agent  _ _ Herondale _ _.”  _ Jace smirks at the mention of his former title. “That we would sooner die, than betray the Imperial army. Everything we do, we do for the good of the Empire. You took that oath by my side years ago. Or did you forget?” 

“We’re more different than you think,” Jace responds, raising his voice. “We might have both vowed to give our lives to the Empire, but we lead very different lives, Alec. Your family has been a staple in the Imperial army for generations. You haven’t had to endure any pain like I have.” 

“When your parents died, Jace, it was the Empire who took you in,” Alec interrupts, raising his voice as well. “If it wasn’t for the Empire you would have been another kid begging for scraps in the deserts of Tatooine.” 

“You still don’t get it, Alec,” Jace snaps, yelling louder than before. His voice echoes in the space of the room. Both men catch their breath for a moment, before he continues, calmer. “I did give my life to the Empire. I’ve fought by your side all these years with pride, Alec. I loved the Empire. I believed in the Empire... until we became Shadow Squad.” He sighs, running his hands through his hair. “I overheard your father talking to another admiral about me. He was defending my loyalty to the Imperial army because it was the Empire that killed my parents.” 

Alec looks at Jace for a moment, before leaning back in his chair. “Your parents died in  a battle .” 

“That’s what they told me,” Jace continues. “But... my mother stopped to help rescue a rebel troop during a mission. She pulled them onto her ship and transported them safely to  Alderaan  without permission from her superiors. When they found out, they killed her and my father in retaliation, and I was sent to  Vardos  because they knew I would become a notable soldier.” 

Taking in the information, Alec waits a moment to respond. “When did you start betraying my trust?” he asks. “When did you start going behind my back to send top secret information to our enemies?” 

“ _ Your _  enemies,” Jace retaliates. He sighs again. “After we took down the Rebellions operation to destroy our power outlets. I got across to Clary’s pod, and... well, you know the rest.” Alec scoffs and looks back down. Jace reaches down and disables the bindings on the other man’s ankles. “Come on, it’s time for the general to figure out what to do with you.” 

Jace leads Alec, still handcuffed, through the ship, to the main meeting room, where everyone else stands waiting. When he walks in, Simon shakes his head at Alec, meeting his gaze. “I saved you, on that AT-AT walker,” he says. “And for what?” Before he can continue, Clary places a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. 

“Well, well, well,” General  Garroway  starts, crossing his arms as he faces Alec. Jace stands behind him, ensuring the metal bindings stay tight on his wrists. “Commander Alexander Gideon Lightwood of the Imperial Army’s Shadow Squad,” he pulls up a file on Alec on the screen for everyone to see. Alec recognizes it from the Empire’s files, knowing that Jace must have found it in the data. “Top of your class at the Future Imperial Leaders Military  Prepatory  School on the planet  Vardos , graduating with honors. Your father is Admiral Robert Lightwood, a highly respected member of the Empire... and by the looks of it, you climbed the ranks rather quickly. It seems we have a very  valuable  soldier on our hands.” 

Alec doesn’t respond, his face scrunched up in anger. “He’s not a commander on this ship,” Maia says from across the room.

“You’re lucky, you know,” Jordan cuts in. “Normally, we would have killed you on sight. It was  Herondale  who saved your life.” Jace tightens his grip on Alec’s arm, and it hurts, but Alec ignores it. 

“Before the destruction of the Death Star, Jace received information on the Empire’s next planet elimination. After reading your file, I agree that this mission may give you a change of heart.” Alec stares at the general, waiting for him to continue. But before he can, Jace speaks up. 

“They’re going to detonate Vardos,” he says, moving from behind Alec. Alec’s eyes widen in surprise, before shaking his head. 

“That’s not right,” he says. “ Vardos  is our home. Its people have vowed their loyalty to the Empire.” 

“There’s been uprisings among the citizens of  Vardos ,” General  Garroway  interrupts. “They’re losing control of the people;  therefore,  the planet no longer has a use to the Empire.” 

“You’re wrong,” Alec snaps. “My father would have never let this happen. He raised my siblings and I on  Vardos .” The general pulls up a file on the screen, revealing a detailed blueprint for the destruction of the planet. The room is silent as Alec reads the highlighted words, his heart sinking. 

“Can you just explain why we’re keeping him alive?” Maia asks. 

“We don’t have enough fire power to stop the entire operation. Alec can get us into the perimeter of the planet,” General  Garroway  responds. “Once there, we’ll rescue as many civilians as we can, and disable as many enemy ships as possible. If the Empire is going to destroy another planet, they may as well go down with it.” 

“How can we trust him not to sell us out?” Maia counters, looking at Alec with a dark gaze. “All he has to do is say who we are, and it’s over.” 

“He has an incentive not to,” General  Garroway  says, looking between Alec and Jace. “ Vardos  is important to you, I can tell. But the question remains: are you more loyal to the Empire than you are to your own family?” Alec looks at the general, then back to Jace. He feels his chest ache, as it did when he thought his former best friend had died. 

“It’s not just  Vardos  that is at stake, Alec,” Jace says. “The last I heard, Isabelle and Max were relocated there. As far as I know, they still are. And we both know the Empire doesn’t care enough to spare them.” Alec clenches his jaw, narrowing his gaze on Jace. After a moment, he looks away. “They know Isabelle’s ideals are questionable,” Jace continues. “She doesn’t hold the Empire in her heart the way your father raised us to. She isn’t worth the risk.” 

The room stands still for a moment, everyone’s eyes on Alec. He takes a deep breath, collecting himself before looking back up at Jace and the general. “If you promise to help me save my family, I can guarantee you entry to  Vardos  without spoiling your mission.” 

“What if he’s lying?” Maia says. 

“Then we kill him,” Magnus responds, and Alec can feel his piercing gaze on his back. 

“Well, looks like we have a deal, then,” General  Garroway  says. “Lock him up until we get closer to the perimeter. And I want two people standing guard at all times.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself, Simon,” Alec hears Magnus say from outside the door of the small room they were keeping him in. He feels his shoulders start to ache from the metal confinements they used to keep his arms back. 

“I trust people too easily,” Simon counters. “I trusted an imperial commander with my life, and I didn’t even know it. I almost died saving him at the weapons facility. He killed Underhill, Magnus.” 

It’s silent for a moment, until Alec hears someone stomp away, their footsteps slowly fading in volume. The door opens after that, and he flinches from the sudden ray of light that shines in from the hallway. Magnus stands in the doorway, staring at Alec for a moment before shutting the door behind him. He turns the light on, and Alec looks at the floor to let his eyes adjust. He can see Magnus’ reflection in the tile. 

“Simon is different from the rest of us,” Magnus says, his voice gruff, deeper than Alec remembers. Like he had been yelling. “He lost his entire family, yet instead of turning to revenge, he found a new family. For anyone else, it would be easy to fight to avenge your loved ones, but Simon fights so that other people don’t have to go through the same pain he has.” Alec doesn’t respond, watching as Magnus starts pacing the room. “I envy his optimism. No matter what, he is confident in the defeat of the Empire.” 

“Are you not?” Alec asks, looking up at the other man. Their eyes meet, and Alec feels the energy shift in the room, as if there is something pulling them together. “You seem to be one of the Rebellion’s finest soldiers.” 

“That may seem true,” Magnus says. He stops pacing, and instead stands in front of Alec, his arms crossed. Alec’s eyes trail to the gun on the other man’s hip. “But being able to fight doesn’t make up for a lack of judgement. I might as well be the one to blame for the death of Underhill.” Alec clenches his jaw, remembering the image of the man’s limp body as he ran out of the panel room. “There’s something off about you,” Magnus continues. 

“Think what you want about me,” Alec says. “I know you’ve read my file. You know how highly the Empire thinks of me. We’re both fighting for the future we believe in, Magnus.” 

“It’s not your motives,” Magnus says, his voice softer. “Ever since I was a boy, I’ve been able to read others. I have never been deceived in my lifetime. I have always been able to see through people; I have always been able to tell where their true intentions lie. With you, I felt... safe, as if your heart was with us. The same way I sense where Simon’s passion lies.” 

“Your intuition was off,” Alec says. “The same way Jace betrayed me and everything we stood for.” 

“This is different,” Magnus says. He looks at Alec for another moment. He opens his mouth to say something, but the footsteps return outside. Magnus turns around, turning off the light to the small room again, leaving Alec to stew in the dark once more. 

As they enter the atmosphere of  Vardos , Maia and Clary escort Alec to the front of the ship. They dig their nails into his shoulders, but don’t say anything to him. Jace stands next to the general at the screen, watching as Alec is forced to sit in the captain's chair, his arms still bound. “As soon as we get a signal, we’re going to connect to the Empire’s main ship and Alec is going to identify himself. Once they let us land, we take out any guards surrounding the loading dock. From there, we venture out to save as many citizens as we can.”

Simon pulls up the signal on the screen, and he and the rest of the crew scatter. As the image of one of the Empire’s guards shows up on the screen, Alec looks over at Jace. They stare at each other for a moment, before Alec shakes his head and looks back to the screen. “State your name and- Commander?” The soldier on the other side of the screen’s eyes widen. 

“This is Commander Alexander Lightwood, of Shadow Squad, special forces. Requesting landing.” In the corner, Jace watches Alec’s expression. More often than not, it had always been dull, serious. He rarely showed emotion to anyone at all, they had been trained that way. Even sharing a room with Alec for over a decade, Jace had always felt that something went unsaid. And now, he was sure he would never know what that was. After reading Alec’s file together, General  Garroway  had made the call: after they infiltrate Vardos, Alec was to be killed. 

After they land, the general looks outside. With all the commotion on the planet, there were far less troopers on the landing pad than usual. He was confident that with the right techniques, they could take them out, steal their uniforms, and pursue the rest of their mission undercover. Alec remains restrained while a few of the rebels gear up, led by Magnus. He watches from afar as Magnus mutters orders to Simon and Maia, before disappearing out of the ship.

Outside, he can hear the sounds of blasters almost immediately. He and Jace make eye contact yet again, and Alec’s mind drifts back to the hundreds of missions they performed together, taking out entire rebel camps. Putting entire cities back together after a few citizens got wind of life outside the Empire. 

After a few minutes, Magnus, Maia, and Simon return with a few dirty storm trooper suits. General  Garroway  looks at Alec again, before slowly releasing his arms. Alec’s rubs his shoulders, the pain finally relieved. “One wrong move, and it’s over,” he says.

“I know you think low of me,” Alec responds. “But nothing comes before the safety of my family.” He stands up, noticing Maia and Simon flinch in the corner, their hands immediately reaching for their guns. After taking a deep breath, Alec moves slowly toward the door. “I’m going to need a weapon if you want this to look right.” Jace steps forward, holding a gun out to Alec. Everyone watches, on edge, and he can feel General  Garroway’s  eyes on the back of his head. 

Outside, a few troopers run around, having found the damage that the rebels did. Alec rolls back his shoulders, standing with his usual tall, confident demeanor. Behind him, Maia, Magnus, and Simon follow in a line, the same formation as the other storm troopers. Upon seeing him, a few of the captains talk amongst themselves, but no one approaches the group. As they walk up the stairs toward the boundary of the Empire’s base, Alec catches his reflection in the metal wall. His hair is disheveled, sticking up in places. His eyes are clouded with dark circles, stark against his pale skin. A five o’clock shadow frames his chapped lips. Alec doesn’t even remember the last time he went a day without smoothing back his hair, much less going out in public looking so scrappy. It felt wrong walking among his fellow soldiers, the people he was supposed to lead, looking so different.

As they come up to one of the gates, a crowd of distressed people lean against. Alec’s people, natives of  Vardos . Some he even recognizes, although they look much older. He hadn’t walked the streets of his home planet since he graduated from the academy seven years prior. “No one goes in or out,” one of the guards says as the small group approaches. 

Alec clenches his jaw, before narrowing his eyebrows and putting on the serious face he always made sure to have around other soldiers. “We come under special orders. Shadow Squad.” The trooper looks at Alec for a moment, before shaking his head. “I am Commander Alexander Lightwood of the elite special forces Shadow Squad, do I need to ask again?” 

The trooper shakes his head, before typing in the code to open the gate. “No, Commander, I just recall already seeing someone from Shadow Squad come through here on special orders.” Alec leads the group through the gate, trying to ignore the panicked faces of the  Vardos  natives. Once they’re out of ear shot from the crowd, they come to a stop. 

“Now we take out any storm troopers in the area,” Magnus says, his voice distorted by the mask. “Be quiet, and direct the locals to the loading dock entrance. General  Garroway  is keeping the area secure, but we have little time.” 

“What about my siblings?” Alec asks, stepping forward. Magnus steps closer to him too, hand on his gun. “I need to make sure they’re okay.” 

“They are citizens of  Vardos , are they not?” Magnus retaliates. “We will save them when we get to them.” 

“What if there isn’t enough time? I did what you asked, now it’s time for my part of the deal,” Alec says. Before Magnus can provide a counter argument, Alec speaks again. “I don’t care if you shoot me right now, if I say one word to another soldier your plan is over, and your ship and companions are gone.” 

Magnus and Alec stare at each other for a moment, before Magnus turns away, facing Maia and Simon. “Let’s split up, direct the citizens to the ship. Alexander and I will meet you there, once we find his sister and brother.” 

“But Magnus, he-” 

“You follow my orders,” Magnus snaps, and Maia and Simon reluctantly part ways. Alec doesn’t say anything, he just continues hastily walking down the streets of his home planet. Around him, his people run around, gathering loved ones, begging for mercy from the troopers directing them. After a few minutes he turns down the edges of the military base, toward where all of the Empire’s higher ranked officers lived while training the younger soldiers. His father had been made admiral when Alec was only a child, and wanted his eldest son to live in a space where he could follow in his footsteps. They only lived a short walk from the training school. 

Around them, the ground shakes, and Alec hears the rubble start to fall off the buildings. “Let’s go,” he says, and he and Magnus start running to this childhood home. Once outside the door, Alec kicks it down, storming into the house. 

Inside, it’s quiet, although papers scatter the front room, lying all over the floor and tables. Alec briefly scans them, recognizing them as his own mission reports from the time he started leading shadow squad. “Isabelle?” He yells, walking further into the house. “Max?” Behind him, Magnus picks up a few of the papers, reading them in detail. Alec hears movement upstairs, and runs up to where their bedrooms were. “Isabelle?” 

In front of him, he sees a door open, revealing a small head of messy blonde hair. “Alec?” His younger brother, Max, exclaims, before running toward his older brother. Alec kneels down, embracing the smaller boy in his arms. It had been over a year since he had seen his brother, and he had grown so much that he was nearly Alec’s height. “They said you died in the explosion,” Max cries. 

“It would take more than that to kill me,” Alec responds before pulling away. “Where is Isabelle? We need to evacuate.” 

Max shrugs. “Someone was here before, and she went with them. He was dressed like you always were, but he didn’t reveal his face. Alec, what’s happening outside? I’m scared, and-” 

“Just stay close to me, and you will be safe,” Alec says, walking back downstairs with Max closely behind him. Magnus is sitting at one of the tables, reading more papers, his helmet removed. “One of my lieutenants was here,” Alec says. “Santiago. My sister must have  gone  with him.” 

“Then we should move on,” Magnus says. “We have other people to save.” 

“No,” Alec says, raising his voice. “I don’t care what you do with me,” he continues. “But until I know my sister is safe, I won’t stop looking for her.” He pauses to think for a moment, imagining himself in Raphael’s mind. He would be following orders, grieving the supposed loss of his two closest friends. Outside, another explosion shakes the planet, and he sees the training facility in the background. His mind drifts back to his younger days, spending all day and night in the gym, under the guidance of the Empire’s highest ranked instructors. Instructors who he knew were valuable, and who the Empire would want to save. “I know where they are,” he says. 

As Alec, Magnus, and Max run up the stairs of the training facility, he spots his ship landing in the distance. He picks up his speed, dashing over fallen citizens and demolished equipment. Around them, the people of  Vardos  beg for mercy, but Alec doesn’t have the time to grieve with them. As they reach the front entrance, Alec bursts through the doors, and is met with the surprised looks of several of his  instructors , among them, Isabelle. 

“Alec?” She cries, her eyes wide. Behind her stands Raphael, his face covered by his Shadow Squad, dark red and black uniform. He steps forward, in front of Isabelle. 

“Commander Lightwood?” He questions. “Forgive me for speaking freely, but we were told you and  Herondale  were killed in the explosion.” Alec feels Raphael’s eyes scanning him, he had never seen his higher-up look so worn. “The Admiral will be happy to hear about your presence.”

The ground shakes again, and outside Alec hears more buildings starting to fall. “You will have to forgive the brevity of my presence, but I am simply here to retrieve Isabelle,” Alec says. 

Raphael shakes his head, taking off his helmet. “Officers, start heading toward the ship,” he says, and the many instructors the two men had growing up talk amongst themselves as they head out of the empty training facility. “You must be acting out of turn, Commander. I was given the order to save the Empire’s admired teachers, and the admirals daughter, Isabelle Lightwood.”

Alec narrows his eyebrows, stepping forward, in front of Max. “My father is dead,” Alec says, raising his voice. “Lieutenant, I am your superior, and I am ordering you to let Isabelle leave with me.” 

“How can your father be dead if he was the one who gave me the order to extract Isabelle and our teachers?” Raphael counters, and Alec feels his chest start to ache, getting frustrated. It didn’t make sense; he knew that his father despised Isabelle’s thoughts. She spoke freely against him, and against the Empire’s decisions. In the moment, Alec realizes that it was not just his best friend who betrayed him behind closed doors. Jace must have had help from inside the Empire to leak information to the rebels, and he was looking at the source. 

As Alec steps forward, Raphael raises his gun at his commander. “Santiago, stand down,” Alec orders. “I order you to stand down.” 

“How can I follow the orders of a dead man?” Raphael says. “I can tell you’re out of character, Commander Lightwood. The man I know would have reported straight to our officers, not show up on a whim to save his siblings. If I am recalling your own words correctly, Lightwood, I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t trust your own sister. The person I am looking at isn’t the Commander I have come to know.” 

“You’re speaking out of your jurisdiction, Santiago,” Alec says, stepping forward again, slowly reaching for his gun. “This is our home, and the Empire is destroying it because they feel threatened by the rumors that have spread through its citizens. And you’re willing to watch as the people we grew up with are demolished?” 

“I am following  orders,”  Raphael says. “The commander I know always follows his orders; he doesn’t put something so trivial as emotions in front of his devotion to the Empire.” 

“Stand down, Raphael,” Alec says, raising his weapon.

Raphael stares at his commander for a moment, his expression dark. “That’s Commander Santiago to you.” He pulls the trigger on his gun, and like instinct from his training, Alec moves swiftly before also shooting at his counterpart. Within seconds, Raphael is falling to the floor, clutching his chest in pain. Before Alec can fathom what’s happening, he is being pulled forward by his sister as the ceiling above them starts to fall. From behind, he is pushed forward by Magnus, who ushers the two eldest Lightwood siblings in the direction of Shadow Squads ship. 

The last thing Alec sees as he is pushed out of the building is his younger brothers body lying face down on the floor, in a pool of his own blood, having been struck by the bullet Alec dodged. He can feel himself screaming, but it is drowned out by the rubble falling above them. 

“Your ship is our only way out,” Magnus yells over the chaos. He pushes Alec and Isabelle forward, before stepping inside the lowered ramp of the Imperial ship. One by one, the limp bodies of the instructors Raphael had just come to save are pushed from the opening of the ship. As the sky lights up, nearly blinding Alec, he is pulled into the ship. As the doors close, the last thing he sees is his home planet disappearing in the rays of light, before he shutting his eyes and passing out on the hard floor. 

When Alec opens his eyes again, he is staring at the ceiling of the Shadow Squad’s ship, a sight all too familiar. He forces himself up, trying his best to ignore the aches and pains that rake his body, and more importantly, he tries to ignore the overwhelming feeling in his chest at the sight of his now dead little brother. He had never come back from a mission with something to grieve about. 

As he walks up to the front of the ship, he is greeted by members of his crew, all who stand at attention as he comes across them. It’s a sight he was sure he would never see again after being discovered by the rebels. At the front of the ship, Magnus stands, looking out at the stars, his arms crossed behind his back. He had taken off the storm trooper armor, and was now adorned in ill-fitting black and red under clothes, most likely taken from the rooms of the Shadow Squad members.

Alec ignores the pounding in his head, walking forward to stand side by side with the other man. “Why did you save me?” He asks, voice rough, dehydrated. 

“What I said before,” Magnus starts. “About being able to understand people, about having a feeling in my chest... it was all true. At first, I thought you had truly deceived me, but as you raised your gun to your own lieutenant, I saw in you what I see in every member of the rebellion. The pain of losing your family, of losing your people, your planet. An esteemed soldier such as yourself, who would do anything for the sake of the Empire, turned against it in an effort to save your family. I read through many of your mission reports. I know the kind of man you are, Alexander Lightwood. Ruthless. You leave behind no survivors. You are willing to do whatever it takes to fight for what you value.” Alec watches as Magnus starts pacing, before turning back around to look at the other man. “Your crew listens to whatever you say. You have power on this ship, and you have the power to change your fate. I am making an effort to contact General  Garroway  with our whereabouts, should I tell him I am the sole survivor of our mission?” 

Alec looks at the other man, and the around at his crew before turning to watch the stars pass by. There were many unanswered questions clouding his mind, about Isabelle and Jace, his father, the terminated people of  Vardos . “I’m not saying that I am officially joining your rebellion,” Alec says. “But the Empire has changed. It is not what I have grown up knowing it to be, and if fighting alongside you is what it takes to demolish it... then me and my crew will be awaiting further directions.” 

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! please let me know what you think in the comments.


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